-- The Raiders' receivers close most practices in a similar fashion, each lugging two rhombus-shaped cinder blocks the length of the field.

The cumbersome shape of the blocks forces the receivers to use only their fingertips to transport the considerable weights at their sides.

From a finite perspective, it looks as if the receivers are strengthening their hands in an attempt to win more contested balls this season. From a grander scope, the regimen shows that the receivers are going to be expected to carry a much heavier load this season.

"I think we're all No. 1 receivers," second-year wideout Jacoby Ford said. "We're all out there working hard, just trying to be the best receiving corps in the league. Even though we're young, we're definitely not going to be playing young at all this year."

The Raiders finished second in the league, rushing for 155.9 yards a game last season, but their 23rd-ranked passing attack averaged just 198.8 yards. Tight end Zach Miller - the team's leader in catches, receiving yards and touchdown receptions - is gone to Seattle.

Louis Murphy, the Raiders' next most prolific receiver from a year ago, has been hampered by groin and hamstring injuries. No one else among the receiving corps caught more than 26 passes last season.

"We're going to go out and prove people wrong," rookie wideout Denarius Moore said. "We're real strong and very fast. We can catch contested balls, go get deep balls and make incredible blocks to free our running backs.

"We might not have a set No. 1 receiver, but we're all just ready to make a play when our number is called."

Moore, a 6-foot, 195-pounder out of Tennessee, was the talk of training camp - stacking day upon day of highlight-reel catches. Still, he is listed as a third-stringer behind starters Darrius Heyward-Bey and Ford and backups Murphy and Chaz Schilens on the Raiders' unofficial depth chart.

The most experienced receiver among the group is Derek Hagan, who has played for Miami and the New York Giants in five NFL seasons. His 12 catches and 224 yards in exhibition games both ranked second in the league, but he admits confusion about his role since he isn't even listed on the depth chart.

"I pretty much think that no one knows," Hagan said. "Once we get things going, we'll figure out what we're going to do."

A lot of the puzzlement comes from injuries and pedestrian production that don't seem to mesh with prototypical skill sets and potential.

Heyward-Bey, the No. 7 overall pick in 2009, has been lauded by the coaching staff for his offseason improvements. Much of the exhibition season, however, looked like more of the same from the speedster's first two regular seasons during which he averaged only 17.5 receptions for 245 yards a year.

Murphy is a fiery competitor who didn't play in the four exhibition games. Ford, who draws comparisons to Pro Bowlers Steve Smith and DeSean Jackson, returned from a hand injury to catch a pass for nine yards in the exhibition finale. And injury-prone Schilens has practiced four times since spraining his knee on an end-around in the exhibition opener.

"I'm excited for when we can all get out there, especially when Louis (Murphy) comes back and everything," Schilens said. "I think we'll be good. It will be a hard, pick-your-poison kind of thing."

Until then, it's a hard, wait-and-see kind of thing.

In good hands?

NAME

REC

TAR

YDS

AVG

TD

1-Denarius Moore

47

-

981

20.9

9

Louis Murphy

41

78

609

14.9

2

Jacoby Ford

25

53

470

18.8

2

Darrius Heyward-Bey

26

65

366

14.1

1

2-Derek Hagan

24

43

223

9.3

1

Chaz Schilens

5

9

40

8.0

1

Nick Miller

3

4

40

13.3

0

Notes: 1-Moore's stats at the University of Tennessee; 2-Hagan's stats with the New York Giants.